Sam The Good Person
Declan Perring
Catford Fringe
The Broadway Theatre - Catford Rd, London SE6 4RU
£10
One man, stand-up comedy show Sam The Good Person is easily one of the best things I have seen performed on stage, ever. I'm not usually one for comedy, especially stand up, but Declan Perring completely blew me away.
We begin the show by observing the character Sam shifting awkwardly at an addicts anonymous meeting, waiting for the kettle to boil. The show begins with small, relatable laughs, laughs which made me chuckle but didn't convince me. A few giggles later and Sam is asked to tell his story to the support group - it is here that you will never look back.
Sam begins his story by exclaiming his undying need to be a good person. Whilst many of us have felt this personally, struggling to stay kind in this imperfect world full of societal pressure, we may have only felt it at a surface level. Poor Sam has an obsession with remaining good, and fears terrible consequences if he puts a foot wrong. Inevitably stemming from an occurrence in his childhood, it would seem Sam has been ingrained with a very specific form of OCD.
Sam makes an impression on many people, including an older gay man Andrew, and a young Canadian Laura. Whilst Sam's previous issues of being good are what troubles his relationship with Andrew, a whole new bag of worms is what starts an encounter with Laura. After going to University, Sam realises that he can be whoever he wants through the process of lying. Perring again begins with a relatable trope - we all lie to make our stories seem a little funnier, our lives seem a little better (within reason, of course).
Whilst the subject matter is unavoidably dark; exploring themes of mental health, anxiety, depression and suicide, Perring's show is utterly hilarious. The art of character shifts is perfected: Perring switches in and out of anything from his father to young teenage girls - every person is distinct and remains recognisable when they resurface, even years later. His energy is almost unsettling, for a solid hour and a half Perring gives his all; his heart is 100% in it, and yours will be too.
I laughed, a lot. I almost cried. My pulse raised, palms were sweaty, and there were times I was literally on the edge of my seat. I left feeling exhausted; with a desperate need to know the truth. However, after watching a whole show about a compulsive liar it is impossible to shed light on the facts and fiction. This show will stay with me for a long time and has changed my perception on comedy forever. Perring absolutely smashed it: I hope that Catford Fringe is just the beginning and he is able to share this masterpiece with many more people all over the world.
OVERALL RATING: *****
https://catfordfringefestival.co.uk/2018/04/09/sam-the-good-person/
